Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association
-
In the majority of patients a definitive cause for low back pain (LBP) cannot be established, and many patients report feeling uncertain about their diagnosis, accompanied by guilt. The relationship between diagnostic uncertainty, guilt, mood, and disability is currently unknown. This study tested 3 theoretical models to explore possible pathways between these factors. In Model 1, diagnostic uncertainty was hypothesized to correlate with pain-related guilt, which in turn would positively correlate with depression, anxiety and disability. Two alternative models were tested: (a) a path from depression and anxiety to guilt, from guilt to diagnostic uncertainty, and finally to disability; (b) a model in which depression and anxiety, and independently, diagnostic uncertainty, were associated with guilt, which in turn was associated with disability. ⋯ Two newly defined factors, pain related guilt and diagnostic uncertainty, appear to be linked to disability and mood in people with LBP. The causal path of these links cannot be established in this cross sectional study. However, pain-related guilt especially appears to be important, and future research should examine whether interventions directly targeting guilt improve outcomes.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial
Restoring depleted resources: Efficacy and mechanisms of change of an internet-based unguided recovery training for better sleep and psychological detachment from work.
This randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of an Internet-based intervention, which aimed to improve recovery from work-related strain in teachers with sleeping problems and work-related rumination. In addition, mechanisms of change were also investigated. ⋯ This study provides evidence for the efficacy of an unguided, Internet-based occupational recovery training and provided first evidence for a number of assumed mechanisms of change.
-
Dispositional mindfulness exhibits a positive association with quality of life (QoL). One potential mechanism for this association is enhanced emotion regulation abilities. Individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) experience a range of physical, cognitive, and affective impairments, thus reducing overall QoL. The current cross-sectional study examines the relation between trait mindfulness and QoL, mediated by emotion dysregulation in individuals with MS. ⋯ Trait mindfulness is positively associated with QoL in individuals with MS. Reduced emotion dysregulation may be a critical pathway linking mindfulness and QoL in MS, especially in those with higher symptoms of depression.
-
This study investigated the impact of the social modeling of side effects following placebo medication ingestion on the nocebo and placebo effect. It also investigated whether medication branding (brand or generic labeling) moderated social modeling effects. ⋯ The social modeling of symptoms can substantially reduce or eliminate the placebo effect. Viewing a female confederate display symptoms after taking the same medication increases symptom reporting in females.
-
The way couples deal with stressors is likely to influence their adjustment after breast cancer diagnosis. Based on the systemic-transactional model, this study examined whether the supportive, delegated and negative dyadic coping provided by patients and partners and their common dyadic coping as a couple were associated with change in relationship quality and depressive symptoms over time. ⋯ This study has contributed to disentangling how dyadic coping behaviors influence couples' adjustment. Interventions may focus on reducing negative dyadic coping and strengthening common dyadic coping, and be attentive to the different effects of dyadic coping on patients and partners.